17 players set to join AUSL via one-of-a-kind 'Golden Ticket' for Draft
Last season, 12 professional softball careers began with an Athletes Unlimited Softball League Golden Ticket; this year, 17 more players will be joining the ranks.
A golden ticket in the AUSL -- as opposed to any of the other mystical golden tickets you may know of already -- is, in essence, an invitation to the AUSL College Draft. However, a golden ticket comes only with the promise of being drafted; the 17 selected players won't find out where they'll begin their professional careers until the AUSL College Draft Show, airing on May 4 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
As for who will be there this year, here's a brief introduction to the 17 Golden Ticket winners, listed in order of receipt. (All stats as of April 25.)
NiJaree Canady, RHP, Texas Tech
The D1 Softball Pitcher of the Year in 2024 and '25, in her two seasons at Texas Tech Canady has pitched to a sparkling 1.22 ERA in 362 innings. She also holds the distinction of being the first softball player to sign a seven-figure NIL deal -- something she's actually done twice.
Reese Atwood, C, Texas
The 2025 Johnny Bench Award winner for the top collegiate catcher is as adept at the plate as she is behind it -- she's Texas' all-time home run leader by a mile, having long since eclipsed Taylor Hoagland's previous record of 58, set in 2013. As of writing, Atwood has hit 70 home runs with the Longhorns.
Leighann Goode, INF, Texas
Atwood's teammate, Goode, is having a career year of her own at the plate, hitting .375/.474/.679 with nine home runs and 32 RBIs in her senior season. Atwood and Goode also bring with them relevant playoff experience; they were both members of Texas' first ever national championship team in 2025.
Sydney Stewart, C, Arizona
Stewart, presented with her golden ticket by fellow Arizona softball legend Jennie Finch, is hitting .436 with a 1.032 SLG, seven doubles, two triples, 15 home runs and 60 RBIs in 39 games … while also serving as the Wildcats' starting catcher.
Karlyn Pickens, RHP, Tennessee
Owner of the fastest recorded pitch in NCAA softball history -- she hit 79.4 mph, breaking her own record of 78.2 mph -- Pickens is a two-time SEC Pitcher of the Year and holds a career 1.48 ERA at the collegiate level.
Dakota Kennedy, OF, Arkansas
After hitting .444 as a junior, Kennedy has taken a huge step forward in the slugging department, having hit 14 home runs in her first 42 games of the 2026 season (.794 SLG).
Kenzie Brown, RHP, Arizona State
Brown has been nothing short of phenomenal in her last two seasons at Arizona State; as of this writing, in her 297 innings pitched since 2025, she's struck out an astonishing 500 batters. (That's 15.2 strikeouts per nine.)
Taryn Kern, INF, Stanford
Kern was named the Big 10 Player of the Year as a freshman -- a season in which she hit .404 with 23 home runs -- so it's no real surprise to find her here as a senior. The Stanford infielder is hitting .405/.553/.962 (1.515 OPS) with 18 home runs through 45 games.
Maya Johnson, LHP, Belmont
Up-and-coming Belmont is the first mid-major school to have a player selected in the AUSL draft, and Johnson has certainly done her program proud in getting here. To this point in her senior season, she has pitched to an unbelievable 0.70 ERA with 317 strikeouts (and just 28 walks) in 170 innings pitched.
Jocelyn Erickson, C, Florida
A two-time Gold Glove Award winning catcher at the college level, Erickson, the 2024 SEC Player of the Year, is also hitting .421 with 19 home runs and 67 RBIs in her senior season at UF. (Appropriately, the Gators were presented with their golden tickets by A.J. Andrews, who was the first woman to win a Gold Glove Award back in 2016.)
Kenleigh Cahalan, INF, Florida
Another elite defender, Cahalan is having a fantastic year at the plate as the Gators' starting shortstop, hitting .379 with 14 doubles, 15 home runs and 60 RBIs (.728 SLG).
Megan Grant, UTIL, UCLA
UCLA truly dominated this year, becoming the first program in AUSL history set to have three players taken in the same draft. As an individual, Grant is nothing short of a machine, pairing defensive versatility with 34 home runs and 1.372 slugging percentage in her senior season.
Jordan Woolery, INF, UCLA
Not just another UCLA slugger, Woolery, hitting .521 with 31 home runs in 48 games, recently became just the fifth player in NCAA Division I softball history to reach 100 RBIs in a season (she currently has 101.) Woolery and Grant are also the first set of teammates in DI softball history to hit 30 home runs in the same season.
Taylor Tinsley, RHP, UCLA
A mainstay for the Bruins, Tinsley opened her collegiate career as a freshman by throwing a no-hitter and after four seasons can now boast a career 2.22 ERA.
Amari Harper, UTIL, Oregon
After three seasons at Texas A&M, Harper has made a huge impact in her first year at Oregon, hitting .388/.509/.783 with eight doubles, two triples, 13 homers and 41 RBIs to this point.
Ailana Agbayani, INF, Oklahoma
A 2025 Gold Glover at second base, Agbayani is hitting .400 with a .514 on-base percentage and 13 stolen bases in her senior season at Oklahoma. Fun fact: she's also a baseball kid -- her dad is late-90s/early-2000s Mets phenom Benny Agbayani.
Peja Goold, RHP, Mississippi State
Goold immediately made herself indispensable in her first season with Mississippi State; she's currently pitching to a 2.08 ERA with 159 strikeouts in 131 IP, and opponents are hitting a mere .175 against her.
About the AUSL
The Athletes Unlimited Softball League is entering its second season in 2026, with Opening Day scheduled for June 9. As of this season, teams will play a 25-game schedule culminating in a championship series beginning Saturday, July 25 at Davis Diamond at Texas A&M University in College Station.
The league underwent its first expansion ahead of the 2026 season, adding the Oklahoma City Spark and the Portland Cascade to the mix. The four founding clubs -- the Carolina Blaze, Chicago Bandits, Texas Volts and Utah Talons -- also now have permanent homes after playing the 2025 season on neutral ground.